Systems for generation of non-thermal gas plasma are known hereto and have utility in a number of fields such as industrial, dental, medical, cosmetic and veterinary fields for the treatment of the human or animal body. Non-thermal gas plasma generation can be employed to promote coagulation of blood, cleaning, sterilisation, and removing of contaminants from a surface, disinfection, re-connection of tissue, and treatment of tissue disorders without causing significant thermal tissue damage. Examples of such systems are given in U.S. 2009/0009090 A1, WO 2009/065046 A1, and U.S. 2006/0084158 A1.
Known gas plasma generators are generally either industrial systems of considerable size for processing or functionalizing relatively large substrates or smaller systems comprising a base unit having a heavy duty gas cylinder connected by a gas line to a hand-piece. Additionally, the system may comprise a power unit connected by a power cable to the hand piece. These systems are not therefore well suited to domestic or in-surgery use.